Heuchera plant named ‘Root Beer’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by medium red brown leaves year round, very free flowering on medium to short flower stalks, creamy yellow flowers on red peduncles, well branched, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera sp.

Variety designation: ‘Root Beer’.

Cross reference to: Heuchera ‘Cherry Cola’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,967).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheraand given the cultivar name of ‘Root Beer’. Heuchera is in the familySaxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Root Beer’ originated from a cross betweenHeuchera 747-5, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as the seed parent,and Heuchera 766-5, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as, as thepollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera 747-5, the new cultivar hassmaller leaf size and red brown rather than rose to olive leaf color.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera 766-5, the new cultivar hascreamy yellow rather than light pink to white flowers and red brownrather than purple black leaves.

Compared to its sibling Heuchera ‘Cherry Cola’, the new cultivar hasdarker colored leaves and creamy yellow rather red than flowers.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. medium red brown leaves year round,    -   2. very free flowering on medium to short flower stalks,    -   3. creamy yellow flowers on red peduncles,    -   4. well branched, mounding habit, and    -   5. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tipcuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows a 1-year-old plant of Heuchera ‘Root Beer’ growingin the ground in full sun in the trial field in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations taken in April of 2-year-old specimens growing inthe ground in the garden in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 onthe USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F.in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based onThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—15 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and            35 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Mounding.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Shape.—Broadly ovate to orbicular.        -   Lobing/division.—5 to 7 shallow lobes, shallow secondary            lobes.        -   Venation.—Palmate.        -   Margins.—Broadly crenate.        -   Apex.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Cordate, lobes usually overlapping at the base.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 8.5 cm long and 9.3 cm wide.        -   Texture.—Leathery.        -   Surface texture.—Pubescent on top side, glandular on bottom.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 15 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,            glandular hairs, Red Purple 59B.        -   Leaf color.—Topside, spring leaves are Greyed Purple 185A,            bottom side Red Purple 59B; summer leaves topside Greyed            Purple N186C with slight white veiling, White N155B; bottom            side Red Purple 59B; winter leaves topside are Greyed Purple            183A with tints of Brown 200C, bottom side Red Purple 59B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—Grows to 7 cm wide and 31 cm long.        -   Type.—Thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 70.        -   Number of thyrse.—About 20 in the first spring flush.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 30 cm long, 4 mm wide at base, Greyed            Purple 187B, glandular hairs, with 1 to 3 pedicellate            cauline leaves (grow to 6 cm long and 6 mm wide, ovate to            orbicular, 3 to 5 lobed, margins crenate, tip mucronulate,            base cordate, glandular, topside Greyed Red 181B, bottom            side Greyed Purple 185A).        -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, Greyed            Purple 187B.        -   Bloom period.—April through June in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2.5 mm wide and 4 mm long.        -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.        -   Color.—Bottom half Greyed Purple 185B, top half Greyed            Yellow 161B tinted Greyed Purple 185B.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Perfect.        -   Shape.—Campanulate.        -   Size.—6 mm long and 4 mm wide.        -   Corolla description.—5 petals, 3 mm long and 1 mm wide,            spatulate with 0 to 2 jagged side lobes, margins entire, tip            acute, sparsely glandular on both sides, White NN155C.        -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 5 mm long and 4 mm wide,            with 5 lobes divided ½ way to the base, each 1.7 mm wide and            2.5 mm long, glandular hairs outside and inside, tips            obtuse, margin entire; color outside on bottom half Greyed            Yellow 161A and on top half Greyed Yellow 161B with tips            tinted Greyed Purple 185B, inside color Greyed Yellow 161C.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, 1 mm long, no pollen, male            sterile.        -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide;            Greyed Yellow 160C overall.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.        -   Fertility.—Low.        -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black 202A.-   Pest and disease tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery    mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to Heuchera rust    and root weevils.

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.